Improvement in grain-separators



R. H. .MONTEITH. Grain S eparator.

Patented Nov. 27, 1877.

i v v w 4 MPETERS. PHOTO-UTHWRAPNER. WASHINGTON D C UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT H. MONTEITH, OF. EAU CLAIRE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR OF A PART OF HIS RIGHT TO CHAS. H. BIGELOW AND'HUGH L. PILKINGTON, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, AND ARCHIE MCVICAR AND DAVID P. BARNES,

OF EAU CLAIRE, WISCONSIN IMPROVEMENT IN GRAlN-SEPARATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 197,486, dated November 27, 1877 application filed May 14, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT E. MONTEITH, t

of Eau Claire, county of Eau Claire, State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain Thrashers and Separators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making In the accompanying drawing, A represents a strong rectangular upright frame-work, of any suitable construction, for the support of the operating parts hereinafter described. Within this frame, at its forward end, is arranged the thrasherconcave B, and the-thrashing-cylinder B, the shaft of which is mounted in suitable bearings in the frame A, said shaft extending outside of or beyond its bearings, and being provided atone end with a pulley which receives motion from the driving power, and which is communicatedthence to the other operative parts of the machine, as will be explained.

Directly in rear of the thrasher-concave, and

with its forward end projected slightly under w the same, so as to receive the straw and grain therefrom, is the straw carrier and shaker, suspended from theframe A, upon pendent pivoted links 0 0, so arranged that at the end of the forward throw of the carrier the links will assume a vertical or nearly vertical position, in such manner that the vibration of the carrier or shaker thereon will be backward and upward, for giving a tossing motion to the straw and grain lying upon it, while the return movement will be downward and forward, for withdrawing it underneath the straw, &c., thrown up in its rearward and upward movement. This movement may be varied as de sired, to adapt it to the grain operated upon by an adjustment of the angle of relation of the suspending-links.

The shaker or carrier consists of an open rectangular frame, D, of wood or other suitable material, provided with rods, wires, or

slats d, stretched longitudinally from end to end, and having a sufficient space between them to permit the grain, chaff, &c., to pass readily through, while, at the same time, they are near enough together to prevent the passage of the straw between them and to insure its passage over the carrier.

The rods or wires pass through a series of perforated transverse bars, d, placed sufliciently near together to uphold the straw above the longitudinal rods or wires d, and which, at the same time, serve to support said wires and prevent their sagging.

The bars d are beveled on their forward faces in such manner that while they impede the passage of the loose grain over thecarrier, and serve to insure its escape between the wires, they do not seriously retard the movement of the straw over the carrier. 7

The shaker is provided with a close bottom,

D D arranged underneath the wires d,- I slightly removed therefrom at the ends, and

diverging thence both ways, in hopper form, toward the center at D, where there is an opening permitting the escape of the grain 1 into the shoe arranged underneath said opening to receive it. I

The shoe E, which is made substantially in the usual form, is suspended upon bailsf, one

upon each side, mounted in bearing-brackets f attached to the innersidewalls of themain frame, as shown in Fig. 2'; and the pendent arms of these bails are provided with angular projections or hooks f which engage with v eyes or perforated brackets on the sides: of the shoe, the arrangement being such asto permit the free lateral vibration of'theshoo on the suspendingbails.

. carrier.

one in advance of another, so as to resembleshort, narrow steps, having a sharp descent, as shown, with spaces .between them to permit the passage of and to give direction to the currents of, air from the fan. Just in front of these slats, and within the discharge-outlet to the fan-case, is a narrow centrally-pivoted valve, g, so arranged that it may be made to close or partly close the space between the steps e c, &c., when desired. By this arrangement of the valve gthe currents of air from the fan can be turned directly between the slats, or, by turning the valve so as to partially cross the slats, the current of air can be divided and passed out partly above the valve to the upper slats and partly below to the screens in the shoe according to the requirements of the grain operated upon.

At the rear end and lower corner of the machine is a transverse shaft, H, mounted in suitable bearings on the main frame, and providediat one end with a sheave and crankwheel, H, to which motion is imparted by a belt, h, from' a pulley on the thrashing-cylinder shaft, as shown, and this shaft H, which is provided with a roller or a series of pulleys, and constitutes the driving shaft or roller for the stacker, is also made to impart motion to the shaker or straw-carrier, the shoe, and the taih'ngs-elevator, as follows: The outer face of the sheave H is provided with a crankwrist at 'i, with which one end of a long bent connecting-rod, I, is attached, the other end reaching forward and upward to, and being connected with, a stud or pin at t", attached to the shaker, and projecting laterally through a slot or opening in the frame-casing, as shown, this arrangement serving to impart the required longitudinal vibration to the straw- To this rod or pitman, I, at or near midway of its length, is pivoted a second rod or pitman, I, which extends rearward, and has its rear end connected with one arm of an elbow or bell-crank lever, 70, pivoted 011 the main frame, and connected by a short link with the shoe E, in such manner as to impart a short, sharp lateral vibration thereto. The end of shaft H, opposite to that armed with the sheave H, is provided with a driving sheave or roller, located within the lower end of the tailings-elevator spout or trough L.

A transverse section of this elevator is shown in Fig. 3, where the box or trough bottom is made concave or in trough form, in such manner thatthe tailings or contents to be elevated will be thrown toward the center.

The elevator consists of an endless band or belt,um, driven by the pulley 7011 the end of shaft H, and provided with a number of transverse .slats, bars, or buckets, m, made convex on their outer face intransverse section,as

shown in Figs. 1 and 3. By this construction of the tailings-elevator, the tailings will be carried up and returned to the thrasher with less friction and less of the tendency to clog, caused by the barbs on the heads, than where the trough and buckets are rectangular in section.

The tailingselevator, shoe, and straw-carrier being thus all operated from the stacker-shaft, and this, in turn, being driven by the long belt h, to keep the latter always taut and prevent itsslipping a belt-tighteneris employed, consisting of an elbow-lever, N, pivoted on the frame A, and provided with a friction-roller, n, on its short upper arm, resting in contact with the belt h, as shown. The lower long arm of this lever extends down by the side of the lower longitudinal frame-timber, and may be moved back and forth, and held by a pin at n, entering any one of a series of perforations in said timber, for regulating the pressure of the roller a on the beltand the tightness of said belt on its pulleys, as desired. This forms a convenient and simple arrangement of belttightener, and one not liable to get out of order.

Parts of the machine, such as the cylinderconcave, fan, straw-stacker, &c., not particularly described, may be of any usual or preferred construction and arrangement.

7 Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a combined thrashing-machine and separator, a vibrating straw-carrier and separating floor, composed of rods or wires 07, stretched lengthwise of said carrier, and forming the separating-screen, combined with and supported by transverse slats or bars cl, arranged to uphold and carry the straw above the wires d, as described.

2. The vibrating separating-floor and strawcarrier, vibrating shoe, and tailings-elevator, all connected with and operated .from the stacker-shaft, substantially as described.

. 3. The slats c 0 6 arranged horizontally in short narrow steps, having a sharp descent intermediate between the vibrating hopper bottom of the separating-floor and the screens in the shoe, in combination with the narrow centrally-pivoted valve 9, arranged and operatin g as and for the purpose described.

4. In a combined thrashing-machine and separator, a tailings-elevator having a concave floor, in combination with the carrying blocks or buckets on the endless belt having a convex surface matching the concave floor, as described. 7

In testimony whereof .I have hereunto set my hand this 4th day of May, A. D. 1877.

ROBERT H. MONTEITH.

Witnesses:

L. D. WILKEs, R. G. MOORE. 

